Rule Number 25
by alolha123
Summary: Shinobi must always keep their emotions hidden and never show tears. Indeed, this is the hardest rule to keep. [Oneshot] [R&R]


Hi all,

OK, alolha123 here again for another oneshot. Except, this one is pretty sad, pretty different than my two other Naruto oneshots. Eh... it was a random idea that popped into my head...blame it on the rabid plot bunny. (lol)

I put some Tsunade/Dan, Neji/Ten, Naru/Hina, and some Ita/Sasu brotherly love in this fic. Sorry, no offense to anyone if they don't care for those pairings.

Oh, and for those who are wondering, Minato is the Yondaime.

You can read this with whatever music you want, though I used _Sadness and Sorrow_ from the Naruto Soundtrack. (Haha, sad music works better than happy music.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. (And probably never will.)

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* * *

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_Shinobi Rule 25: Shinobi must always keep their emotions hidden and never show tears._

Tears streamed down Tsunade's pale face, racking her weak body. She knelt in the middle of a battlefield, empty and devoid of other life. Countless bodies were strewn on the ground, and corpses burnt beyond recognition haunted her mind with hollow gazes.

But she could only focus on one body. Her lover.

Dan.

From a very, very early age, she had been drilled in the many shinobi rules. But they held no meaning to her; rules were rules, and the young Tsunade held no regard for them. She played her _own_ way, carving a new path from the standards.

Now she knew why those rules were there in the first place.

She felt so weak, so helpless--she had seen Dan rush into the battle, his thoughts on nothing but fighting--fighting, for Konoha and its people.

And now he was dead.

At that moment, Tsunade felt, for the first time in her life, useless.

And she wanted to die.

Tsunade tried to recite Shinobi rule 25 to herself, but--

_It's too hard._

* * *

Minato turned. He saw his teammate--no, friend--rushing towards him at almost impossible speed. The blonde could not move. His sapphire eyes widened in terror as Rasu--his best friend--grab his shoulder. 

For that split second, Minato caught gaze with Rasu. Eyes were indeed the window to another's soul. Rasu--his gaze held so many emotions. Anxiety. Anger. Fear.

Fear for Minato's life, and perhaps death itself.

Minato felt a strong push, and the next moment--

It was too late. Everything had already been done.

Rasu, his breaths coming in ragged, uneven syllables, was leaning over the fallen Minato, a sword protruding through his back.

He had pushed Minato over to take the fatal blow himself.

The greatest sacrifice.

Minato stared at Rasu in a mix of mortification and guilt as the other began to fall.

Everything seemed so unreal. _It's only a dream,_ Minato tried to convince himself.

The blood dripping from Rasu's wound did not help relieve Minato of his fears. It was too late. His friend was dead.

Minato's vision blurred and fresh, hot tears began to fall.

_I can't stop crying..._

* * *

A rock--a rock killed Obito, and Kakashi couldn't believe it. Obito, that vibrant, energetic, hyper boy-- 

Dead.

Kakashi stared into the sky, seemingly finding Obito's empty eye socket in the clouds with the Uchiha's Sharingan.

He remembered how the boy would show up late and use outrageous excuses. The only time he wasn't late was in rescuing Rin.

He remembered how the boy would rage at him and claim he would be able to defeat Kakashi once he unlocked the Sharingan. Now that he had, irony allowed Obito to die and give Kakashi the eye he would have used against him.

He was dead, and would not come back.

Kakashi fingered Obito's well-worn goggles. The glass was cracked, but the silver-haired boy would not replace it. It was a good reminder.

Friends first. Mission second.

Inside, he couldn't help but feel guilty. If he had just followed Obito in rescuing Rin, if he hadn't tripped--

If, if.

Here he was again, without friends--save Minato-sensei and Rin--and the reputation of being the perfect shinobi.

None of his specators could imagine the pain he had gone through to become that.

So-called perfect.

_Life means no more to me._

* * *

A raging battle, clashing on both sides. 

Neji couldn't have cared less.

He knelt beside a girl's corpse. It was bloodied and dirty, faint streaks of pink coming from underneath the mud. Two chocolate--or mud, it was hard to tell--buns peaked on top of her head, rumpled slightly and one nearly falling apart. But he didn't care.

Tenten was gone.

She had taken a poisoned strike meant for the Hyuuga.

He had always been a firm believer in destiny and such until a certain Uzumaki Naruto shook him from that view. Suddenly, everything became clearer and he no longer shut himself away from others. Being a Branch Member didn't seem as bad, either. After all, Hinata-sama was kind and compassionate. She would make a good clan leader.

But he remembered a certain conversation he'd had with his kunoichi teammate, Tenten, before the Chuunin Exam.

After greetings, she'd asked him what it was like to be a Branch Member.

He'd been puzzled; she knew this was a delicate matter for him. He had replied rather brusquely, dismissing both the point and her.

But she persisted. Finally, growing tired, he'd asked her roughly if she knew what the term 'caged bird' meant.

She had said no, she didn't, and he had turned away, assuming the conversation was over.

But then she had caught his shoulder. He turned to face her.

And she had told him she cared about him.

And as he knelt next to her lifeless body, he knew she cared enough to sacrifice her life for him, to give him a second chance at life.

_She was the only one who cared._

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He had killed Itachi, with a _Chidori_ to the heart. Finally, after all these years of revenge, hate, and ambition, sacrifices of friendships and bonds, he had done it. His life's goal. 

He felt this flicker of glory, accomplishment--pride. He had avenged his family and his clan at last.

But why did he feel so sad? So empty... so... _alone_?

Was it because all of those "brother memories" returning to him after these years?

Was it because he had killed "Aniki", whom he had once idolized?

Was it because he had killed, with his own hand, the only other Uchiha?

_Why?_

Itachi's body fell away from Sasuke, the last Uchiha pulled his hand out of his brother's chest.

Blood, still warm.

Now Sasuke was really the last Uchiha. No nuke-nin relatives, no imposters.

He was alone, and now, after years of blindness from hate, he realized it.

He had killed his aniki.

Sudden grief overwhelmed him, though he tried to fight it back. After all, hadn't Itachi slain the entire clan except for Sasuke himself? Hadn't Itachi joined a band of missing-nin? Hadn't Itachi tried to capture his teammate?

It didn't make any sense.

_Why?_

Sasuke felt empty. A void had been created from Itachi's death. Now his goal was gone. His other, to resurrect the clan, was rather too much to think about for a mere fourteen-year-old boy.

Itachi was dead.

_He was the only family I had left._

* * *

Naruto screamed, unleashing all of his swirling whirpool of emotions upon the opposing army. Many recoiled in fear, seeing the now Kyuubified Naruto and feeling the wave of massive killing intent. 

Many tried to fight him, but the attempt was useless as they were pushed back.

Naruto slit a man's throat with his nails, which had turned into sharpened claws.

How could this happen? How could Hinata--_his_ Hinata--that sweet, sweet girl--die?

He could see her body a few feet away, lying in crimson blood, still fresh. A single kunai protruded from her chest, mocking her as if it were the only gravestone she would get.

Violet hair sprawled out behind her. Now that the ties had broken, Naruto could see her beautiful, silky hair at its best, untied and flowing down her back.

Oh, cruel, cruel irony. It was the first time he had seen her hair down, and it would be the last.

She would never let it down again.

Throughout the years, Hinata had been many things. She had been a classmate at one time, a teammate. He had had many of both of those over the many years, but she was different. Even after learning the truth about his tenant, Hinata loved him. She had never despised him for the demon the people claimed her was. Even her own father disinherited her after he learned of her boyfriend. But she stayed with him, always clasping onto his arm, refusing to let go.

Naruto had never had anyone who was willing to do that before.

And now she was gone.

_She saw me for who I really was._

-----

_It's too hard._

_I can't stop crying._

_Life means no more to me._

_She was the only one who cared._

_He was my only family left._

_She saw me for who I really was._

Indeed, Shinobi Rule Number 25 is the hardest of them all to keep.

-----_Owari_-----

Aww, how sad... Anyway, reviews will always encourage an author, _except_ if they're flames... so R&R, no flames, please.

alolha123


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